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Re: No Subject
Gregory S. Paul <GSP1954@aol.com> wrote:
> If I do say so myself and I do,
> Giraffatitan brilliantly
> describes both the exceptional and rather nondinosaur
> giraffe like form of
> the type, as well as its immense size. That it ties the
> African sauropod to
> its closest living African analog is also excellent.
There is also another, entirely fortuitous aspect of the name _Giraffatitan_.
This relates to the derivation of the word 'giraffe'. According to the
preferred etymology, 'giraffe' comes from the Arabic word 'ziraafa' or
'zurapha', which means 'assemblage' (as in 'a number of animals put together').
I find this appropriate for _Giraffatitan_, because the famous mounted skeleton
of _Brachiosaurus brancai_ in the Humboldt Museum is a composite of more than
one individual.
> I attribute Mike's peculiar
> failure in this regard to the diet on the British isles --
> bangers and mash is
> fine fare but too much clogs up the cognition.
By contrast, gastronomic delights from the other side of the Pond, such as Big
Macs and Philly steaks, really fire up the cognition. Not to mention their
wondrous effects on the circulation as well.
;-)
Cheers
Tim